The Daily Workshop Report
by Robert Sheard (TMF Sheard)

LEXINGTON, KY. (Oct. 2, 1997)

Scroll to the bottom for year-to-date Growth and Value Screen results.

I spend almost all of my time in these Workshop columns focusing on potential winners. Every once in a while, though, a switch is in order. Today, then, let's put the ugly glasses on and look at 1997's big losers. If you're a short seller, perhaps you can gloat about making money on these stocks. If not, condolences.

Here are the 25 American stocks in Value Line's database of 1490 issues with the worst year-to-date percentage performances (as of 9/24). Recognize any names?

-69% Informix Corp. (IFMXE)

-60% Boston Chicken (BOST)

-60% PictureTel Corp. (PCTL)

-58% IDEXX Labs. (IDXX)

-54% PETsMART Inc. (PETM)

-51% Fred Meyer (FMY)

-44% IKON Office Solution (IKN)

-43% Cephalon Inc. (CEPH)

-42% Gen'l DataComm (GDC)

-42% APS Holding 'A' (APSI)

-41% Ascend Communic. (ASND)

-41% Scholastic Corp. (SCHL)

-41% Pegasus Gold (PGU)

-40% Just For Feet (FEET)

-40% Checkpoint Systems (CKP)

-37% Health Mgmt. Systems (HMSY)

-33% Shoney's Inc. (SHN)

-33% Coachmen Ind. (COA)

-32% National Auto Credit (NAK)

-32% ADVANTA Corp. 'A' (ADVNA)

-30% Netscape Communic. (NSCP)

-29% Harland (John H.) (JH)

-28% 3Com Corp. (COMS)

-28% Columbia/HCA Healthcare (COL)

-28% JLG Industries (JLG)

Ack, I couldn't do it. I'm too much a "half-full" kind of guy to make a whole column out of bad news. Here, then, are the top winners for the year. Let's hope if you have any on the first list, you have at least one on the second.

268% Dell Computer (DELL)

207% Immunex Corp. (IMNX)

190% Quantum Corp. (QNTM)

187% Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC)

186% Navistar Int'l (NAV)

185% Dynamics Cp. of Amer. (DYA)

184% Michaels Stores (MIKE)

172% Caliber System (CBB)

172% Applied Materials (AMAT)

169% Unitrode Corp. (UTR)

163% Arkansas Best (ABFS)

152% Compaq Computer (CPQ)

149% Advest Group (ADV)

147% Airborne Freight (ABF)

136% ICN Pharmaceuticals (ICN)

127% Yellow Corp. (YELL)

126% Tele-Communic. 'A' (TCOMA)

125% America Online (AOL)

122% Best Buy Co. (BBY)

120% Novellus Sys. (NVLS)

117% Nextel Communic. 'A' (NXTL)

117% Filene's Basement (BSMT)

117% Teradyne Inc. (TER)

115% CTS Corp. (CTS)

115% Fieldcrest Cannon (FLD)

Monthly Growth Screens
(Jan. 3 to present)
91.75%  Relative Strength  
41.16%  Investing for Growth  
33.01%  EPS Plus RS  
28.41%  S&P 500 Index  
26.36%  YPEG Potential  
23.95%  Low Price/Sales  
23.19%  Unemotional Growth  
22.99%  Formula 90  

Annual Value Screens
(Jan. 1 to present)
25.83%  Dogs of the Dow  
24.91%  Beating the S&P  
24.50%  Dow Combo  
24.49%  Dow Jones Ind Avg  
23.59%  Unemotional Value  
23.59%  Beating the Dow  
17.37%  Foolish Four